My chicken is not feeling well

[chickenlover0805]

Decided to move this to this category.
Previous Thread

So my five year old hen is doing this stance, and my grandparents won't let me treat her for leg mites. My grandma thinks she's just old and is gonna die, but I am determined to help her, as she is my favorite hen. Her comb is purple and limp also, which she could be cold because it is only 60°F where I am right now.

 

[ChicNmom]

I'm sorry your hen is sick. You could put vaseline on her legs and that might feel better for the hen.

She also might have other lites on her body which could be why she looks fluffed up unless she is just rough and patchy from molting.

But with her comb turning purple she might be having a heart problem.

Or if her comb is dark and looks like it's shrinking she could be dehydrated.

Do you know if she is eating and drinking?

 

[chickenlover0805]

Do you know if she is eating and drinking?

Last night I gave them some tomatoes and she ate some and this morning I gave them their daily feed and she went outside to eat some of it. I'll go out and check on her and see how she's doing

 

[chickenlover0805]

So I went outside to check on her and she was just sitting in one place, so I poked her and she walked around a little bit and picked some corn. Her comb still looks a little purple but it isn't as purple as it was before. Should I take her in the house to try and warm her up to see if shes cold?

 

[chickenlover0805]

I brought her in, her crop was entirely empty so I gave her some pumpkin pie and she ate it all up

 

[ChicNmom]

I'm glad she ate something! Try mixing some chicken feed with water so it's soft like oatmeal so she has more nutrition.

Did you put vaseline on her legs?

 

[chickenlover0805]

I'm glad she ate something! Try mixing some chicken feed with water so it's soft like oatmeal so she has more nutrition.

Did you put vaseline on her legs?

I didn't put anything on her legs, but she also ate some sweet corn and drank some water with electrolytes

 

[chickenlover0805]

@ChicNmom she's way better than before but she's still looks a bit uncomfortable

 

[Elspeth Dinsmore]

Decided to move this to this category.
Previous Thread

So my five year old hen is doing this stance, and my grandparents won't let me treat her for leg mites. My grandma thinks she's just old and is gonna die, but I am determined to help her, as she is my favorite hen. Her comb is purple and limp also, which she could be cold because it is only 60°F where I am right now.

Hello, ChickenLover!
I am so sorry to hear your hen is feeling so poor. I will be praying that she recovers soon!

I am new to keeping chickens. I am definitely no expert. Unfortunately, I do not have any advice I can offer.
I thought at the very least I could ask some questions and maybe someone more knowledgeable will come along and be able to help you out if they know the answers to these questions.

Is your hen laying eggs? My first thought when I saw the photos was that she might be egg-bound, but then I realized she was an older hen and in a molt. I'm guessing that means she is not laying? When was the last time she laid eggs?
How long has she been feeling poor? Do any other hens feel poor?
Has she been de-wormed? This was a surprise issue for us with out hens that we are still trying to remedy.
Has she been pooping? Do you have any photos of the droppings?
What is her diet normally when she was feeling well?
If you go out to the coop at night, do you see any mites on her skin when you part the feathers (especially around the vent area) or in the coop (e.g in cracks, crevices, under roosting bars, etc.)?
Do you see any symptoms of scaly leg mites?
Is her breathing normal?

I might not know how to help you based on the answers to these questions. However, it gives someone with more experience the information they might need to come along and help you.

It would very much surprise me if the issue was the temperature outside. Chickens can handle very cold temperatures. Sixty degrees fahrenheit sounds like a wonderful temperature outside!

That's all I can think of to try and help. I really hope she feels better!